In a heated exchange on Tuesday, Karnataka's Home Minister Priyank Kharge responded to BJP MP Tejasvi Surya's challenge to provide evidence linking the Sangh Parivar to the murders of journalist Gauri Lankesh, scholar MM Kalburgi, and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar within three days or resign. Kharge accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of being linked to "clandestine networks" involved in these murders, as well as the murder of activist Govind Pansare. He also criticized the RSS for its lack of formal registration, membership records, and publicly consolidated financial accounts, challenging Surya to get the organization registered. The exchange began after Kharge's remarks at a public meeting held by the Muslim Youth League in Kochi, Kerala, where he alleged that people associated with the Sangh were behind the killings. Surya argued that Kharge should explain the delays in prosecution instead of making statements that could influence the judiciary. He also pointed out that the chargesheet in the Lankesh murder case was filed in 2018 and the trial began in 2022, with all accused out on bail. In the Kalburgi murder case, only 33 of the 139 witnesses had been examined as of September 2026.
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In response to Surya's challenge, Kharge accused the BJP MP of defending the RSS and its contradictory behavior: claiming credit for achievements while taking responsibility for nothing. He alleged that the RSS's organizational structure makes it convenient to acknowledge or distance itself from individuals depending on the circumstances. Kharge questioned how cases involving alleged RSS links could be investigated when the organization has no formal membership register, registered legal identity, or verifiable record of its representatives. He also accused the RSS of having no formal membership enrolment system or publicly available membership list and not publishing consolidated accounts despite collecting Guru Dakshina before the Bhagwa Dhwaj. Kharge challenged Surya to get the RSS registered and offered to pay the registration fee himself, stating that if Surya truly cared about the truth, he should ask his RSS masters to register, identify their office-bearers, and disclose their accounts.
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Speaking to reporters after his exchange with Surya, Kharge also questioned the RSS's role in India's freedom struggle and challenged the organization to identify the movements in which it had participated. Citing Tipu Sultan's resistance against the British, Kharge asked who from the RSS or BJP fought against the British, implying that those who did were patriots. He questioned whether the RSS had participated in the Quit India Movement, the Non-Cooperation Movement, the Civil Disobedience Movement, or the Dandi March and attended any Round Table Conference. Kharge challenged Surya to show which of these movements they participated in.